House with a flat roof: Stop Carlson

Greetings, comrades! House with a flat roof in the style of minimalism has become a new trend in private construction: effective and sleek appearance finds its fans among builders, and among the potential owners. Today we will find out just how practical such a construction, what problems will arise in its construction and how they can be solved.

Minimalism in architecture: simple shapes and flat roof.

Advantages and disadvantages

First, let's weigh the pros and cons of a flat roof.

Benefits:

• the upper floor a simple design of the ceiling. Actually, it is the overlap (or monolithic slab). It is not necessary to build a complex suspension structure or hemming ceiling girders to the rafters;
• The maximum height of residential floor under the roof over its entire area. For comparison - in the attic part of the area under the lower part of the roof ramps are not used at all or used as a storage area;
• The roof is transformed into the observation deck or sitting area. What is particularly nice, it is protected from the prying eyes of neighbors and passers-by.

Recreation area located directly on the roof of the house.

disadvantages:

• The high cost of construction on the background of the attic or loft under the pitched roof with wooden truss system;
• The need for insulation covering: a roof filled with insulation screed gravity layer (slopes toward the drains);
• The problem with waterproofing. Traditional hard roofing materials (slate, metal, trapezoidal sheet, etc.) are not applicable here: all of them are designed for roof pitch of at least 7-10 degrees.

Any hard roofing requires a slope. Flat roof water will flow into a sheet of metal or slate.

Strictly speaking, the flat roof is not perfectly horizontal: it has an inclination of 2-3 degrees, providing the water flow. However, with such a slope in an oblique rain water will inevitably fall under the sheet metal roof.

Methods of waterproofing

So how do waterproofed roof cottages with a flat roof?

ruberoid

Ruberoid roof - the most popular solution. The reason is quite obvious - the lowest price per square meter (600 rubles per installation). Roofing material is laid in at least two layers, wherein there are two different types of material:

Picture	Description
	Lining: Provides waterproofing and adhesion of the protective layer to the substrate.
	Armored: The front surface is provided with a grained mineral aggregate, protecting roofs from mechanical damage.

Preparation of the substrate is cleaned and primer bituminous primer. Two layers of roofing material are alternately fusing with a gas torch with overlapping seams between layers.

The service life of the roof surfaced Ruberoid - 8-12 years.

PVC membrane

More expensive solution for home in a minimalist style with a flat roof - PVC membrane. This roofing material installation companies offer a five year warranty; the actual lifespan is estimated at 20-30 years.

Flat roof waterproofing membrane is made of vinyl.

Typical thickness of the membrane - 1.2-1.5 mm. In spite of the reinforcement of polyester mesh, plastic such thickness easily damaged. Furthermore, in the most economical fastening the membrane around the perimeter of the roof it becomes a huge sail.

Both problems are solved by backfilling of the roof or expanded clay pebbles: backfilling can walk without fear of damaging the roofing material, and its weight ensures that the membrane does not fly in a strong gust of wind.

Membrane roofing with backfill.

As the membrane is attached? Telescopic plastic dowels, which are then closed edge strip following the vinyl sheet. For connecting webs using adhesive or thermal bonding - heating of the surface of the membrane a flow of hot air.

Thermal welding of the membrane cloths.

Liquid rubber

A house with a flat roof can be prevented from leaking through the ceiling of the liquid rubber - seamless sprayed waterproofing, which is a composite based on bitumen. The material may be a single component (curing on contact with air) and bicomponent - with added curing catalyst before application.

Liquid rubber was developed in the USSR, but was not widely used because of the low quality of the bitumen in its composition.

The great advantage of liquid rubber - in compatibility with any roofing materials including roofing material. For example I do not need to go far: a house without a roof next to me at least a year ago suffered a repair of tar board roofing it with the help of spray material. Since then, the leak does not appear, although the roof is widely used as a recreational area.

Ruberoidnyj roof renovated liquid rubber. Waterproofing is poured screed under tiles.

Security

Single-storey and two-storey cottages especially with direct roof in need of its fencing: falling from heights multimeter - a thing unpleasant. Security is especially important if there are children in the family.

The enclosure roof is done in two ways, and each of them has its drawbacks.

Picture	View of the fence and its features
	Parapet - stone or brick ledge on the roof's perimeter. It increases the area sprayed and PVC waterproofing membrane, and in the case of the felt roofing waterproofing complicates adjacency to the roof parapet: roofing material in hot weather tries to slide on a vertical surface or wrap way down.
	railing do not increase gidroizoliruemuyu area, but there is a problem before the builder waterproofing each rack: because the difference in the coefficients of thermal expansion of metal roofing and sealing material retained compounds not for long.

Solve the last problem, a simple instruction: mount balusters fence not to the plane of the roof and the wall.

Fixing handrails to the plane of the wall removes racks waterproofing problem.

drains

Projects with a flat roof homes may include internal and external gutters. Each solution has its advantages:

• external drain cheaper structurally simpler and does not require a funnel waterproofing due to its absence;
• Dignity domestic waterflow - that he does not peremerzaet in the offseason, when the temperature during the day fluctuates around zero.

The photo - a funnel internal drainage. At the time of casting their ties had to be protected from ingress of solution.

conclusion

As you can see, the flat roof of the house owner creates a number of difficulties, which, however, are quite solved. But rectangular and square house with a flat roof look very impressive and give your family a full disposal solarium or picnic area.

As always, I appreciate your comments. Good luck, comrades!